is over all the eggs to warm and cherish and nourish them so Gods mercy is over all his works Dr. Preston of the Simplicity of God p. 54. to cherish and nourish and perfect them that is it is shewed forth upon them all Thirdly When creatures be in destresse and cry in their kind God heares them and relieves them Psalme 147.9 He giveth to the beast his food and to the young Ravens which cry Next for speciall mercies towards men As he hath raised them with other creatures out of nothing so he hath lifted up in the creation humanitie to a supernaturall life And although these two acts of God may more properly be referred to the goodnes of God yet surely his provision made of other creatures for their service and his relieving their miseries with supplies makes it appeare that out of his mercy he is the Saviour of all men though especially of them that beleeve 1 Tim. 4.10 But now for this singular mercies to his Church besides those in which they are in commons with all other men and creatures whereof with a little helpe the reparation of that whole kind may go for one of the common ones God hath shewed his mercy in giving a Saviour to mankinde faith Mr. Perkines Marke I pray to mankind And John 3.16 God so loved the world that he sent his only begotten Sonne c I say besides this he shews his mercy to his Church and people in delivering them from the curse and giving them the means of salvation and vouchsafing them secure of remission of sinnes here and life everlasting hereafter But that these mercies of the Lord may not passe so I shall here fasten a while to speak of the reparation of lost man fallen in Adam unto sinne and naturall miseries and liable by this fall to eternall death The raising of them up and the underpropping of them with greater helps then before sure here abundant goodnes and mercy doth shine out very gloriously Here we may by the way speake of those severall kindes of mercy which some have observed to be in God and so we shall next come unto the branches of that mercy which is the great mercy of all towards such of the faln race of Adam as by Christ are raised up to enjoy everlasting life The mercies of God extended in this life may be reduced to five heads There is a five-fold mercy of God The First whereof is rewarding mercy This is when such as do well though they do ill also as who liveth and sinneth not are rewarded Mercy rejoyceth against judgement James 2.13 And God passeth by what is done amisse and rewardeth what is well done He doth good to his servants that feare him and forgetteth not their works of faith and labour of love and actions of obedience but of his mercy rewardeth them Secondly He hath also pardoning mercy As he crowneth with loving kindnesse and tender mercies Psalm 103.4 So he forgiveth iniquities ver the third of the same Psalme This is that mercy which David prayeth for Psal 25.7 Remember not the sinns of my youth nor my transgressions according to thy mercy remember thou me for thy goodnes sake O Lord. Thirdly God also hath prevaling mercy when he keepeth us from those evills either of sinne or punishment that he seeth we are running into So sometimes when the Lord sees his servants hastening to the committing of sinne which will certainly bring sorrow upon us he hindereth and preventeth the doing of these things And so when wicked men plot to bring misery on the people of God as Haman did concerning the Jews in Ester God hinders it So when more then forty had bound themselves under a curse neither to eate nor drink till they had killed Paul Acts 23. God prevents it by his providence the story is obvious This is Gods preventing mercy to keep us from sinne and so from the punishment due for sinne and from the Conspiracies of evill men Fourthly God sometimes sheweth mercy in delivering his people out of sinne and from afflictions and sorrows lying on them for sinne Though he sometimes let them fall into the evill of sinne or punishment yet he is pleased to helpe up and take them out againe This is another mercifull dispensation of God There cannot be greater objects of pity then men and women that go on in sinne God comes and sees such and raiseth some up out of that gulfe in which thousands do yet lye that never met with this mercifull hand of God to help them out In this sence he hath mercy on whom he will have mercy Rom. 9.15 And therefore it is a great mercy of God to give men grace to repent of their sinnes and not to let them ly still in them And doubtles such as the Lord loves he will one way or another fetch them off from their sinfull courses He will do as kind and wise fathers do with their disobedient children he will double and treble his fatherly strokes on us untill he amends us and make us stoop under him and bring us off from our miscarriages God permitted David to fall into a woefull gulfe of sinne but here was his great mercy seene in helping him out again And so for Peter how did he thrice fall most fearfully into that great sinne of denying his master c. But in mercy he was holpen out again he had grace to go forth and weepe bitterly and recovered himselfe a gain in the Church of God in regard of this esteeme and reputation And so also it is true for grievous troubles Psalm 34.19 Many are the afflictions of the righteous but the Lord delivereth him out of them all Fifthly There is exercised by God sparing mercy This the Church prayes for often in Scripture This God promiseth to his people Foure degrees of sparing mercy in God And shews it many and diverse waies Sometimes by not punishing at all somtimes by deferring punishment Sometimes by moderating his corrections and sometimes in the very act of afflicting his people for sinne he shewes a sparing spirit Mal. 3·17 a mercifull disposition manifesting how unwilling he is to do what he doth but that needs he must Ofâ—en God passeth by the sinnes of his people and doth not reckon with them at all for them As a father spareth his Sonne that serveth him even when the day commeth that shall burn as an oven and all the proud and all that do wickedly shall be stubble c. Mal. 4.1 which is to be understood of some generall judgements that are upon the earth then God packs up his jewells and spareth them in that day Here is an allusion to men that have their houses burning who do not regard their lumber their timber stuffe but looke to their chiefe writings coyn and jewels to preserve them So God in common calamities hath a mercifull eye towards and hand over his beloved ones yea sometimes for the sake of them he saveth such
be studied as a text Math. 13 3◠readines to forgive earnestnes frequency in prayer and hath left a rule or forme full of heavenly glory and exactnes not to be used as a charm but to be studied as a text Besides to conclude this particular how did he open his mouth in Parables and utter darke sayings which had beene kept secret from the foundation of the world But let us come to a third effect of mercy And that is the giving of this our Saviour to be as it were a Coppy for all good life the very living and walking law of the most high God A compendium of all those morrals that ever were in the mind of God to be done even from everlasting Learne of me saith Christ Would ye live exactly learne of Christ Be zealous as he was zealous The zeal of Gods house did even eat him up John 2.17 And his Disciples remembred that it was written the zeal of thy house hath eaten me up you know it was upon his driving the buyers sellers out of the Temple Be meeke and lowly as he was he bids you learne of him Math. 11.29 We must learne both of these Many pretend to be zealous as Christ was but they have not his meekenes And so some pretend to write after his meekenesse but want zeale But we must looke upon Christ and imitate him in doing the whole will of his Father Demonstration and practice is an excellent way of teaching Now Christ doth not only teach us what to do but he doth it before us There is scarse any particular duty that God requires but we have a president in Christ a sampler to work by As for children that have a precept to honour their parents you know in Christ they have a patterne Luke 2.51 And he went downe with them and came to Nazareth and was subject unto them And so for obedience to magistrates And so for suffring in the cause of truth and religion he was as a lambe dumbe before the shearer And so also for the Church he made no schisme or rent He was circumcised went unto the feasts joyned in publicke worship and did not rent himselfe from the Jewish Church though it laboured under many corruptions And therefore have a care how ye slight any thing that ye see Christ was ready to performe What can ye wish to have a warrant for that ye may not find in this Coppy Modesty Gravity Sobriety Affability circumspection in words and deeds benignity compassion mercy conformity to order devotion humility any thing every thing that is required in the holy law of God We have many vaine talkers whose mouth must be stopped because they are evill doers as well as vaine talkers This is a rare effect of Mercy in God who well knew that our eies are more upon examples then our eares attent to precepts and therefore hath provided a notable one for us Fourthly Another effect of mercy is freedom from sinne divers waies for First though we are not free from being sinners yet we are free and exempted from having the guilt of sinne charg'd upon us O how sweete is this unto such as ly under the sense of sinne And Secondly freed we are by the mercifull hand of God from sinning with a full and free consent of will In this sence is it said 1 John 3.9 Whosoever is borne of God doth not commit sinne It is true also that if any man say he hath no sinne 1 John 1.18 he deceiveth himselfe and the truth is not in him This therefore is to be understood of liking sinne and lying in sinne Peccatum quod repugnat divinae bonitati est summum malum But behold this great mercy of God towards us that whereas sinne which is the greatest evill because it is contrary to Gods goodnes and holines and calleth for eternall sufferings and likewise containeth in it unspeakable deformitie and sinfulnes A just satisfaction is given in the divine person of the Son of God and in mercy also the seeds are sown of another frame of spirit in all that shall be saved Whence comes a fifth effect and gift of mercy to wit Freedome from eternall death and destruction and a rescuing us from the gulfe of that bottomlesse Barathrum a freeing us from fiery Tophet The wages of sinne is death but the gift of God is eternal life of which particular I will speak Rom. 6.23 when I come to it But now behold mercy in delivering us from so great a death Do but believe that what the Scriptures say of hell fire is true and ye must needs say that to be freed from that place or state must needs be an unspeakable yea an inconceivable mercy O when a man can say though I must dy yet I shall not be damned Though the pit of the grave shut her mouth upon me yet the pit of hell is by mercy shut against me what an unspeakable mercy is this Truly Bretheren if to be freed from hellish misery Perpende quid sit esse in illo teterrimo carcere in illis horendis tenebris semotum ab omne luce ab omni creaturorum amoenitate ab omni solatio in summis omnium sensuum cruciatibus in acerrimis illis incendijs ibi torreri ibi ardere idque non unum diem non unum annum non centum annos non mille non centum annorum millia sed infinitos annorum milliones quamdiu stabit orbis quam diu vivet Deus absque ulla spe liberationis absque ulla daberum intermissionem Lessi de div perfect Pag. 118. which is so intollerable so everlasting be a mercy then we must needs see that the Lord our God is a mercifull God The misery we were liable unto is imense and incomprehensible and therefore that mercy must be infinite by which that misery is taken away And this is done to our hand by our mercifull high priest who by the infinite dignitie of his person hath matched that eternitie of our torments which we should have layen under by his once suffring death upon the Cross for us Sixthly Proceede we to the grace of adoption whereby we are become the very sons and daughters of this mercifull God Adoptio est distinctus beneficium à condonatione peccati This is destinct from the former For as when a Prince that hath pardoned a Malefactor and given him his life shall not content himselfe therewith but besides pardoning the injury freeing from the punishment bloting out the infamy shall also take such a one to be his sonne and give him right and power to raign this would tend much to the declaration of his noble mercy So is it with us in this effect of mercy We shall not only be freed from wrath but be taken into Gods family Now to the further consideration of this adoption of sonnes foure things would be looked upon First The state God hath taken us from Secondly The state to
fire and torments for ungodly men than God can want mercy If ye be not all saved O ye sinners it is not out of any defect in God His bowels yern over lost mankinde Yee are self murtherers if ye come not all to Heaven He perswades you intreats you begs you and complains of you that ye will not come to him that ye might have life And what would ye have more I say again if any of you be damned t is not God but your selves that cause it See what God hath done to others men saved already next the devils have been the greatest objects of pitty that could be because vile sinners and enemies to God in their mind by wicked works bloody Manasseth persecuting Saul abhominable Mary Magdalen and the Thief upon the Crosse even dropping into the jaws of Hell And for Saul who I named but just now when he was breathing out threatnings and slaughters against the disciples of the Lord Act. 9.1 Even then was God breathing out his mercies upon him These are glorious suns that shine in the crown of our mercifull God He hath mercy of all sorts for all conditions and nothing displeaseth him more then when men take up narrow thoughts of his infinite bowels Then secondly Let us trust in this mercifull God for ever Vse 2 and trust perfectly in him whose mercy indureth for ever Let the wicked forsake his way Isa 55.7 c. and turn to the Lord for he is mercifull He will have mercy he will abundantly pardon stand it not out with God any longer ye know not if ever ye may have another such a tender of mercy from God again O then close with God labour to come into the Covenant and keep under it ye that are in Otherwise ye may live long enough under mercies offered Come to Christ God is a Father onely to such as have Christ for their Lord and King Beloved consider what I say Gods works are glorious and to be sought out I say we come not to heaven in a way of mercy onely but through a Mediator for out of Christ God is nothing else but everlasting burnings For though his nature and property be to have mercy and to forgive yet he is forced to take punishment by our impenitency and our impenitency cannot be taken off untill we be united to Christ by the spirit working repentance If ye be not in the Covenant ye are out of the sphear in which Gods mercics to eternal salvation move though many ordinary showers of mercies and Sun-blasts of comfort are to be had upon the account in general of the satisfaction of Gods justice by Jesus Christ elsewhere yet choice mercies the sure mercies of David are to be had no where else but under the Covenant Psal 89.28 Mark I pray My mercy will I keep for him ever more How comes that to passe It followeth And my Covenant shall stand fast with him By David in this Psalm is signified Christ of the seed of David of whom David was type And Gods mercies to us in him are firm and sure Verse 34. My covenant will I not break nor alter the thing that is gone out of my lips And much more ye may read in the following verses to the same purpose The sum of all is that Gods mercies in Christ are firm to the whol body mystical To them they are like the waters of Noah T is a Covenant of salt that cannot be broken Get once assurance that thou art in Christ and never doubt of the mercies of God more Be thou never so weak in parts or grace Those that are so weak that they cannot apprehend Christ he is ready to comprehend them But still we must be perfect in this truth Dr. Preston Sts. Infirm pag. 52. that Justification Redemption and Salvation which are these sure mercies of David are not to be found out of the Church nor extended to those whom God never received into his Covenant But here it may be objected Object out of the first of Titus v. 2. That eternal life which God that cannot ly hath promised before the world began cannot be appropriated to those who do believe and bring forth the fruits of their Faith in obedience because there were none such before the world began To which I Answer first That that place may be Englished Sol. from the times of ages And then the sence will be that God in all ages from the beginning hath made promises of eternal life to such as come into the Covenant and are believers 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A parallel place in some what a clearer phrase we have 2 Thess 2.13 God hath from the beginning chosen you that is all along from the beginning God hath chosen you and such as you are to salvation through sanctification of the spirit and unbelief of the truth Or if according to the latter Interpretation of Piscator which Dr. Twisse embraceth we read ante tempora soecularia Quèmad modum etiam verum est Deum sicut neminem adultum nisi resipiscentem bonis operibus invigilantem salvum facit ita etiam non nisi resipiscentem bonis operibus deditum statrisse salvum facere unde conficitur resipiscentiam bona opera causas quidem esse salutis idque ex ordinatione Dei quippe qui nos elegit ad salutem in sanctifatione spiritus fide veritatis sed non sequitur resipiscentiam bona opera causam esse ordinationis ipsius divinae Twiss 233. fol. before times of ages that is before many ages to wit in the beginning of ages which seems fitter then to say before eternity for God neither promised nor decreed to promise any thing before eternity this sence will answer this Objection well enough to wit that whatsoever Gods decree or purpose be of men means sure I am that God hath promised eternal life onely to such as be in Christ and that all mercies belonging to life eternal are appropriated to such new creatures as are in Christ Jesus But secondly for satisfaction in this point if ye that are pleased to consider what I say are resolved to read the words either in the Epistle to Titus or to the Thessalonians according to the usuall reading of them in our English Bibles and according to Beza and others and will make the sense to be before the world began although it will be hard to make the place in in the Epistle to the Thessalonians so to sound yet still it will stand for a truth that Christ laid down his life onely for his sheep 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ioh. 10.15 and not for his enemies for the company of Believers and not for wicked unbelievers And as is said Heb. 5.9 He is the author of eternal salvation to all that obey him Nay not onely are Christ and his benefits restrained to the faithfull but also unbelievers and such as continue in their wickednesse are flatly excluded from
at all and why shewed in two Reasons 109 Diverse effects and acts of mercy 1. the Incarnation of Christ ib. 2. the Revelation of Gods mind by him 111 That the world was full of ignorance sin when Christ came ib 3. Christ given a Copy for all good life and conversation 112. 4. Freedome from the guilt of sin 113 from liking lying in sin 114 5. Freedome from eternal destruction ib. 6. The grace of Adoption in which foure Things are considered The state God hath taken us from The state to which he hath brought us The good which thereupon we do expect The means whereby this is effected 115 7. The benefits of all Christs Merits 116 8. The pouring out of the spirit of grace 117 9. The sweetnesse of Ordinances ibid. 10. Particular vouchsafements 118 11. Communion with God 116 12. Life everlasting ibid. Vse 1. Then mankind is miserable 120 Vse 2. Not to dispair in our afflictions and Miseries 121 Vse 3. Nor of salvation though we fall into grievous sins 122 Vse 4. Let us render unto God the honor due unto his name 123 Four things are due to God 1 To be mindfull of his mercies 124 2 Love to God who is worthy of it 125 3 We should yield obedience and service to God ibid. 4 The praises of God should be in our mouthes ibid. Vse 5. Let us be mercifull as our father which is in heaven is mercifull 126 Here are three Motives 1 Such shall finde mercy 2 Their seed are blessed 3 It is attainable if you desire it ibid. The second Proposition That Mercy is Communicable ibid. Made good by three Reasons ibidem Vse 1. Unmercifull men want a very glorious and commendable thing ibid Illustrated in foure thing 1 They are wicked every way 1 They are Covetous 2 Unbelievers 3 They have not the love of God 4 This sin hath much cruelty 127 2 They are cursed persons 3. They are unlike God 4. Unmercifulnesse bars audience of Prayers 128 5. Unmercifulnesse is a kinde of Murther 129 6. It is a shrewd signe of Reprobation ibid. 7. Their end doleful that have no Mercy ib. Vse 2. An exhortation to be mercifull as God is mercifull ibid. Three Motives 1. It is a blessed thing 2. Ye give to Christ 3. God will not dy in your debt 130. Three directions given for the obtaining this merciful property ibid. The third proposition of the infinitnes c. of Gods Mercy 131 Many admirable sayings of Gods mercy 1. God enclines to it 2. It is delightfull to him 3. He doth multiply to shew mercy 4. He will be exalted to shew mercy Lastly It is his proper work 132 Vse 1. Then there is no want of Mercy in God 133 Vse 2. Let us trust in this mercifull God for ever 134 Choice mercies are not to be found out of the Church 135 Unbelivers are flatly excluded from these mercies 136 The Sixth Attribute Of the Truth of God THe diverse acceptations of the word Truth and the severall words used to wit Kosht or Keshet and Emunatho p. 137. That truth generally signifieth the conformitie of a thing to its rule ib. That there are two Positive properties of an entity to wit truth and goodnes 138. That unity is not a property of an entity and why not ib. That Gods being is a fundamentall veritie not a conformitie c. ib. That the word truth is used for conformitie of knowledge to its object 142. That an enunciation logical cannot be true of what is metaphysically false 143. That formal truth in God is from the objective truth of his essence ib. That truth descends from God into creatures by revelation and divine illustration but in God it is not so who is the first formall truth 144. Certain questions are propounded touching Arminian tenents ib. In things that are not in esse there is not properly truth 145. That things are said to be in posse in a double respect and how ibid. That divine knowledge is not terminated to things existing but is extended to futuritious and possibles 146 That God avoucheth logicall truths without the least errour ibid. Vse 1. We must take heed of receiving truths hand over head c. ibid. And as of falsiâ—ies so also of misapplied truthes take heed ibid. A third acceptation of truth according to the word used in the text ibid. Doct. That truth and faithfullnes is an Attribute of God ibid. 2. Reasons given 1. God hath no after thoughts 2. Punisheth faithfulnes in others 147. Gods faithfullnes and truth is either in regard of manners promises 148. Vse 1. Let the people of God be confident upon this truth of God 149. Vse 2. For reproof our doubtings of Gods truth and faithfulnes ibid. That gratious ones somtimes are apt to question Gods truth c. ibid. Misunderstanding or misaplying promises causeth this ibid. That some Promises are made with condition and limitation ibid. That promises are misaplyed sometimes to persons to state and behavior 150. Vse 3. Let sinners know that the God of truth hath threatned 151 Vse 4. Let us learn to be like God to be men of truth ibid. That truth in man hath relation 1 To God 2 To Man 152 2. Proposition That truth is a Communicable attribute ibid. Two Objects about this point answered 153 Vse 1. The fault is not in God that men are fals and faithless ib. 2. We must learn to seek for this quality of truth at the hand of of God by Prayer 154 3. Honest men may take comfort in that they are like God to wit men of truth ibidem Third proposition truth in God is infinite and incomprehensible ibidem Vse 1. To beare up the spirit of Saints against all false dealings in men God is faithfull infinitely 155. Vse 2. A cooling card to all such as have not made God their portion 156. Reader Correct with thy Pen these faults in the First Part. PAge 8. line 7. read floweth p 11. l. 32. r. is p. 28. l. 33. r. at p. 29. l. 6. r. doth l. 15. r. see p. 35. marg r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 l. 34 r. none p. 36 l. 4. r. by and in l. words p. 37.24 in sin besides p. 38. l. 26. God saith one p. 42. mar 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 43. r. 43. summis negatum est aliquid addi p. 45. marg ejus p. 58. l. 1. miseries l. 5. they l. 39. extingui p. 60. l. 11. then p. 63. l. 28. see is not by nature l. 31. are of a p 68. l. 4. kindness l. 10. and so Paul p. 70 l. 3. instrument marg eighth p. 71. l. magor p. 72. l. 8. infinite p. 73. l. 31. stature 76. marg peregrinabitur l. 36. now p. 78. l. 11. he is not so at all p. 81. l. 18. produce to any p. 94. l. 31. Heb. 12.24 p. 95.21 that those curses p. 96. l. 20. do revenge p. 105. l. 25. preventing p. 117. l. 8. wholy p 118. marg Luthers sentence
as are neare and deare unto them Gen. 19.29 And it came to passe when God destroyed the cityes of the plaine that God remembred Abraham and sent Lot out of the middest of the overthrow when he overthrew the cities in the which Lot dwelt So this is one particular in which is seene Gods sparing mercy When God hides his people in times of indignation And also when he forgets their sinne and casteth them behind his back and doth not punish at all These phrases of passing by and not passing by are usuall in Scripture and to set forth the mercy of God in this head of sparing mercy as one breach thereof So also Gods adjourning his punishments to a farther day his suffring his Spirit to strive with men as he did with the old world The long suffring of God waited in the daies of Noah while the Ark was a preparing 1 Pet. 3.20 When God was provoked by their sinns yet he waited one hundred and twenty yeeres This deferrings of judgment is a branch of that sparing mercy of God which we live under But Sirs the glasse is running all this while there is an appointed time for every purpose The time appointed will be expired and though God may seem to have leaden feet yet be sure he will have Iron hands at last Though he come slowly he will smite surely O Do not be bold in sin God is merciful to forbear to put off defer his plagues but it will not be wisdom for you to defer to put off your repentance His spirit will not alway strive He will be paid for forbearance ye will be left altogether in excusable if his forbearance work not at all with you And as if the Lord did study to be mercifull in his dealing towards the sons of men what moderations and rebates doth he shew in his punishments Psalme 78.38 But he being full of compassion forgave their iniquitie and destroyed them not but of this branch we have spoken already Marke therefore what followes yea many a time turned he his anger away Here is another branch of sparing mercy but yet further and did not stirre up all his wrath Here ye have all three in one verse But that which we have now in hand is the moderation that is in this God of judgment when he must needs punish he doth it in judgment not in fury He doth not make a full end but correct in measure even when he doth not leave his people altogether unpunished Jer. 46.28 Lament 3.22 It is of the Lords mercy that we are not utterly consumed To wit his sparing mercy Lastly upon this point or branch of sparing mercy it is noted by some that God doth somtimes shew a kind of unwillingnes and loathnes to lay on stripes on the backs of his servants He doth not take delight in the putting of his servants to paine He doth not laugh at their calamitie But he is brought in groaning while he is whipping as a father correcting with weeping eies Hosea 11.8 How shall I give the up Ephraim how shall I deceive thee Israel how shall I make thee as Admah how shall I set thee as Zeboim mine heart is turned within me my repentings are kindled together Here is a conflict as it were in the very spirit of God O how shall I do it O what a sparing heart the Lord hath towards the sons of men Where he must needs corect them it is much against his will Truly he never dealt with Christ so as he doth with the sons of men He spareth not him in any regard at all He spared him not in the first way he tooke not away the punishment but he gave him up to death The cup did not passe away but it was drunk Neither was it deferred but when the houre was come he suffered he was sacrificed in the time set for it And that without mitigation He had not one drop taken out of this bitter cup. Neither was there any relunctancy in God against it He did not weepe over him when he was suffring He never cryed how should I suffer thee my sonne to dye How should I endure to see thee so used But it pleased the father Isai 53.10 yet it pleased the Lord to bruise him He had not only voluntatem but voluptatem He did as it were harden his heart upon him which made him cry my God my God why hast thou forsaken me Quest But you will say how standeth this with the love of the father It is said the father loved the son why then did he not spare him at all in his suffrings Ans I Tell you sirs there was great reason why God should not spare Christ Though he spare us continually For. First it delighted God to see his justice satisfied Reasons why God spared not Christ he would have a full satisfaction to it It was expedient that all the mercy should be towards the redeemed and none towards the redeemer As Christ stood in our steede he was to satisfie justice and so to have what he paid for Thus justice is exactâ—d which God could not indure should be trampled under foot This must needes be a pleasant sight in Gods eyes That we sinners might have all mercy he that saved us from our sinnes had no mercy Sparing mercy is the lowest degree of mercy yet this was denyed to Christ that he might pay every sort of mercy for us Secondly He knew what his sonne could do He laughed at the triall of him because he knew he would do well enough It pleased the Father to see his sonne tug with death so and all sorrows even as a Generall takes delight to see his souldiers play the men bravely But I am sensible of a digression and therefore returne to the matter in hand that mercy of all kinds is in God Ye have had a discourse of a fivefold mercy And now next I am to speake as I promised of that great manifestation of mercy to mankind fallen from his good estate I meane to the remnant elect to the little flocke for whose sake glorious doings and marveilous transactions have beene in the world For to the end that man so fallen in Adam so miserable every way as hath been heretofore shewed might be raised up and freed from all sorts of sorrows and deaths from griefe here and from eternall damnation hereafter and be made fit to enjoy grace mercy here and glory eternal in the heavens God hath diverse and sundry waies shewed his abundant goodnes and mercy as shall now be declared And Effects and acts of mercy First let us begin with the Incarnation of Jesus Christ the eternall Sonne of God In this God hath declared his infinite love and mercy to us Of this admirable effect of working bowells in God you mâ—y read John 3.16 God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten sonne that whosoever beleeveth in him should not perish but have everlasting life Who considering
this in his minde can chuse but be astonished who can hold teares in the consideration of so great mercy That God would send his Sonne out of his owne bosome even him who thought it not robbery to be equall with God Phillip 2.6 ver 7. to be made of no reputation and to take upon him the forme of a servant and to be made in the likenesse of men Rather then man should be utterly lost That he I say of infinite majesty with the father and Holy Spirit wanting nothing who created all things whom so many millions of Angles serve and who in a moment of time is able of nothing to create infinit other more excellent then men to worship him should be borne in a stable laid in a mangre that man wretched man the lowest of rationall nature next of kind to the bruite beasts addicted to earthly things void of heavenly uncleane unthankfull rebellious in whom there was nothing worthy of love many things worthy of hatred and punishment Should be freed from everlasting damnation and raigne eternally with God in glory Here is a rare effect and fruit of mercy indeed If a man riding a long the high way should find a poor raged louzy wretch almost dead groveling and wallowing in blood and dirt and beholding this wofull sight should alight from his horse and take up this poore creature carry it upon his back or in his arme to some house and take all possible care for its washing dressing and recovery and in the meane time have his horse stollen by thieves himselfe persuing beaten and wounded should yet rejoice that he hath saved the life of the poore creature would not such a man be noted for a good man a mercifull man Beloved bretheren this is nothing in comparison of what Jesus Christ hath done for us He did lay aside his glory and tooke part with our even with the worst miseries and all in mercy to deliver us from hell and to bring us to glory Stand amazed O ye sons of men If ye did but consider what ignorance of God athisme brutishnes and hellish cruelties are in Christendom and ye must think there is much more out of it ye would conclude that the world is in a most miserable condition being God is righteous And therefore to do as hath beene a little said for the salvation of such must needs proceed from unspeakable mercy even the mercy of a God To this head is to be referred the bitter passion of our blessed Saviour His nakednes and poverty his hunger and thirst his labours and hardships of life his reproaches and persecutions his buffetings and spittings his whipings and prickings of thornes his agony and bloody sweat all kindes of opprobies and dolorous sufferings even unto the accursed death of the crosse And this is the first effect of Gods mercy Christ Incarnation Behold next the revelation of the mind of God by this Lord Jesus Christ so Incarnated Heb. 1.1.2 God who at sundry times and in diverse manners spake in time past unto the fathers by by the prophets hath in these last dayes spoken to us by his sonne John 17. ver 3. If to know God the only true God and whom he hath sent Jesus Christ be life eternal which who dares question Then it must be another rare fruit of mercy to ignorant blind sotish brutish mankind to have such a glorious Sunne to shine that people that sit in darknes and in the shadow of death may have their feet guided into the wayes of peace and salvation And truly herein English men have a great share in this mercy that when so many places in the world are without the sound and saving discoveries of the Gospel have such as no nation under heaven doth or ever did goe beyond us scarce any surely very few ever enjoyed the like But that we may be somewhat taken with his effect of mercy let us looke into it somewhat further by the consideration of two things about it First The condition the world was in when Christ came The condition that the world was in when Christ came and then his comming and behaviour for the enlightening thereof For the first the whole world except a very few was ignorant of Christ and of its maker of divine providence and the government of the world of the end of good and evill to wit eternall life and eternal death heaven and hell How few then and yet indeed tooke notice of the soules immortality the evill of sinne both in regard of his wages and work sorrow deformity the worth and beauty of exact walking The devill the Prince of darknesse being the God of this dark world held all as he doth the greatest part to this very day under his government and discipline behold deadly darknes was upon the face of the whole earth incomparably worse then the darknesse that was in Aegypt mentioned Exod. 10.21 All their beauty was deformity their potency wealth and eloquence with which they flourished were of no worth because of no efficacy to the obtaining of eternall life or freedom from hell Now in this misery and blindnes in which the whole world in a manner lay The Lord Jesus moved with mercy and pity came into this dark and blind world dispelled these darknesses with his discovery of the mind of his father He detects errors opens the frauds tyrany of the Devil illuminates the world and shews them the author of all things his power providence mercy justice the reward of good men in graffed into Christ and the punishment everlasting prepared for ungodly men and unbelievers This light shone three yeers and halfe in the person of the son of God in the flesh in diverse townes and villages in the wildernesse in thâ— mountaines in the fields on the land and on the sea of Galilee publiquely and privately in houses and in Synagogues in the Temple and in the streets in all places upon all occasions The excellency of this light it contained nothing but what was profitable to salvation for the manner it was plane and familiar that all might be capable of it It was pure and perfect enlightning the understanding reforming the soule excluding sinfullnes and iniquity directing in piety righteousnesse and sobriety composing the whole life and conforming the whole man within and without to the divine will and eternall love of the most holy God This was done by Christ in the flesh his humanity was the instrument made use of in the administration of the Gospel of salvation And therefore nothing can be desired for matter or manner that is wanting this mystery of salvation coming out of so good a hand The very particulars insisted on by Christ in his sermons have in them sublimatie and beauty He commandeth selfe-deniall the renouncing of all the world for his sake a patient taking up of the crosse the love of our enemies The Lords prayer not to be used as a charme but to
which he hath brought us Thirdly The good which thereupon we do expect Fourthly The meanes whereby this is effected We were enemies unworthy of the lest mercy and liable to everlasting sorrowes But are advanced to union unto and communion with Christ Not to a moderate or mean estate of hapines of humanes or angelical happines natural But to be the sons of God the sons of the eternal King the heires of God and Coheires of Christ consorts of divine glory partakers of all divine good things with him we are made one with Christ not in conceit or imagination only for this conjunction is in truth a reall conjunction The prayer of Christ is John 17.22 That all beleevers may be one with him as he is one with the Father viz. by one and the same spirit dwelling in Christ and in all members of Christ 1 Iohn 3.24 And hereby we know that he abideth in us by the spirit which he hath given us Perkins on the third to the Galatians Page 265. saith All the Saints in heaven and all beleevers upon earth having one and the same spirit of Christ dwelling in them are all one in Christ Not as if Christ and Saints were not destinct persons or as if the properties of the Godhead or qualities of his manhood were transformed into us or as if we were only by a bare consent as freinds are one or as if Christ and all the Saints were one substance I say none of these waies are we one with Christ But as all the Members of the body naturall have one soule So have all the Saints with Christ their head owne spirit And this comes to passe on Gods part by mercifull donation and on our part by faithfull reception Thus we see how we are one with Christ and so by consequence do possesse Christ and injoy him and his benefits partly in this life and fully in the life to come So that from our adoption we looke for such good so great joy so much glory as eie hath not seene nor eare heard neither hath entred into the heart of man O what a gulfe of distance is there betweene that estate from which we are taken 1 Cor. 2.9 and that whereunto we are brought And the meanes whereby all this commeth to passe ye have heard already is the sonne of man For first one man is taken to be Gods naturall son the fullnes of the God-head being substantially united to him By this man Christ Jesus God adopteth and maketh his sonnes Eodem spiritu vivunt nimirum membra Christi quo Deus ipse quo Christus filius Dei naturalis vivit et si hic spiritus diverso modo istis communicetur personis enim divinis communicator per identitatem idque vel immediata necessitate ut patri vel per aeternam generationem aut spirationem ut filio spiritui sancto huminitati verò Christi perhypostalicam vnionem nobis per quandam extensionem qua mediante dono gratiae justificantis incipit esse noster spiritus nostra vita nos inhabitans ornans movens ergens omnes vitales functiones Deo platentes in nobis excitans edens Less all those which are engrafted in to this trunke or stoke by the spirit of faith for as many as are led by the spirit of God they are the sonnes of God Rom. 81.4 This previledge is given to them that receive Christ to them that believe in his name to become the Sonnes of God John 1.12 And according to this priviledge of Adoption are we and all our weake endeavors looked upon esteemed O behold what manner of love the father hath bestowed upon us that we should be called the Sonnes of God 1 John 3.1 Seventhly We have the benefit of all Christs merits All that Christ ever did or suffered is made over to us and we presented in him without blame in the sight of God From mercy it is so ordred and brought about that Christ did the work but we receive the wages Christ bore the Crosse but we weare the Crown Beloved we have the benefit of all Christs merits So that what Christ merited we are said to merit by meanes of our union that we have with him We are alwaies hereby in a capacity of pardon as often as we sinne and by true repentance turne unto God What Prince was ever so mercifull as to be in readinesse to pardon such as capitally offend or commit high treason every day But our God of his mercy is ready every minuit to pardon the sinnes of his people For if any man sin we have an advocate with the Father c. 1 John 2.1 Here is a most rich treasury here are merits that can never be Drawne out It is impossible so many sinnes should ever be committed as might be beyond the riches and worth of them Yet we must know that the worth of them is not drunke up by us Quicquid recipitur recipitur ad modum recipientis for we are not able so to receive them to our use as they are in Christ For not in the like measure is the spirit received by all that are justified Although each Saint hath the whole spirit yet not in an equall manner and measure And so although each Saint hath whole Christ made over to him withall his merits yet there is not one that hath sins enough to take him up holy by appropriation or to make a full proprotion between their misery and his merits but still there will be overflowings of the blood of Christ Eightly Mercy causeth the powering out of the spirit of grace By vertue of our union we do of his fullnes receive Joh. 1.16 and grace for grace So that as a litle child is answerable in every part to the tallest and stoutest man so the little measure of graces in the weakest Saints have a conformitie to the graces that are in Christ though the difference in regard of degrees be exceeding great There is wisdome patience meekenes c. Which God gives out and adornes his chosen ones withall Never did a Queene present her selfe so beautiful in the eyes of the greatest Monarck as the Church the Spouse of Christ is rendred lovely in the eyes of God Salomon Song cap. 7.1 c. How beautifull are thy feet with shoes O Princes Daughter Ye may at leasure read when ye please the rest But such as are proud scornfull passionate intemperate covetous c. It is impossible God should take pleasure or delight in them O how beautifull is the spirits work upon the soule a soft heart an obedient will and the gifts of saving and sanctifying grace A man in the state of nature saith one is like a pond full of toads a man in the state of grace is a paradise of God Beautifull in Gods eies is a gratious soule from top to toe O ye that wallow in the mire and dirt and filth of sinne do ye thinke God
for his blessings is the greatest blessing of all This is a duty which none can except against because it is especially a work of the heart All cannot shew their thankfullnes in giving or doing great matters but all may expresse the willingnesse of their hearts Ps 103. All within us may Praise his holy Name though we have little or nothing without us That yee may be enabled to this great work consider deepely Gods favoures how miserably had we been without his pardoning mercy Think upon the freeness of it Thinke upon the multitude of his mercies Think upon Gods singling of s out for the glory of his rich mercy and to conclude this point and use consider Gods mercies to us and care for us are such as if he had none else to be mercifuil unto or to care for in all the world besides And so much for the Fourth Use For the last Use of this point Let us labour to be like unto Vse 5 God Let us be mercifull as our Father which is in Heaven is mercifull To move you to be mercifull consider such as are Motives 1 mercifull shall find mercy If we care not to be mercifull to others that we may be like God let us at least be mercifull to others that God may be like us Sr. Richard Baker Such as shew themselves mercifull to others have a good ground of hope that God will be mercifull to them Mercifull men shall find a mercifull God Nay it is asigne they have found him already Motives 2 Secondly Such shall leave an inheritance of mercy to their children God hath said it Psalm 37.26 He is ever mercifull and lendeth and his seed is blessed Motives 3 Thirdly They that desire to have this property of mercy to be of a mercifull disposition may be encouraged it is to be had The second Proposition it is a communicable attribute and so we are put upon the second proposition That this mercifull disposition is communicated to the sonnes of men Which may be evidenced many waies As first because we reade so many passages in Scripture of merciful men Psalme 41.1 2. Psalme 112. Ye know it is the very scope of the whole Psalm I will not spend time in naming places Secondly it is commanded also in many places and this shews that it may be attained God would not bid us to seeke after it and to practise it if it were impossible to be had or practised Thirdly we read of many promises made to merciful men and therefore such there are Such have a promise never to be moved Psalme 112.6 That their horne shall be exalted with honour ver 9. that their seede shall be blessed Psalme 37.26 That it shall preserve Kings and uphold thrones also is averred Prov. 20.28 What is so frequently spoken of what is commanded what is commended what is so beneficiall by Scripture Testimony surely it is to be had Vse 1 The First Use of this second point which is that mercy is a communicable attribute is to teach us 1. They that want mercy are every wicked that unmercifull men do want a very glorious commendable and profitable thing which may be had and which some have to their everlasting praise and which they that want are every way wicked For First 1. They be Coveteous they that be covetous men shall never enter into the kingdome of Heaven 1 Cor. 6.10 And the Lord abhors them Psalme 10.3 But covetousnesse is a grand cause of unmercifulnes as daily experience proves And then Secondly Unmercifull men are unbelievers 2. Unbelievers and such shall be damned Mark 16.16 Now that such as are unmercifuâ—l are in deed unbelievers may easily be made appear for whereas God hath said He that giveth to the poore shall not want Prov. 28.27 These want faith to believe that promise For did they believe it they would act accordingly And Faith without works is dead Jam. 2.17 God who is truth it self hath engaged himself to mercifull men in many promises but coveteous men will believe never a one and so they are unmercifull They shall be without that are unbelievers Rev. 21.8 But the fearfull and unbelieving c. shall have their part in the lake that burneth with fire and brimstone Thirdly It is also certain 3. They have not the love of God in them that unmercifull men have not the love of God in them for 1 Joh. 3.17 Who so hath this worlds goods and seeth his brother want or to have need and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him how dwelleth the love of God in him Such as are unmercifull men do neither love God nor are beloved of God Fourthly This sin hath much cruelty and unnaturalnesse in it For whereas the Lord is the maker of both rich and poore 4. This sin hath much cruelty and unnaturalnes Pro. 22.2 The poor are looked upon and dealt withall by the rich as if God had not made them Therefore Isa 58.7 Such are said to hide themselves from their own flesh And Malachy 2.10 Each man is said to be brother to another Why do we deale treacherously every man against his brother We have a command Prov. 25.21 That if our enemies hunger we must give him bread to eat and if he be thirsty we must give him water to drink But unmercifull men are far from hearkening to this command Ye see what wicked creatures such are by all these particulars that I have mentioned Secondly And as they are wicked so also they ly under a curse Prov. 28.27 As He that giveth to the poore shall not lack 2. They are cursed persons So he that hideth his eyes shall have many a curse And surely though the poore that curse unmercifull men do not do well yet there is something of God in it This scripture must be fulfilled though it be the sin of the poore yet it is a just judgment of God upon mercilesse men And not onely the miserable but God himself curseth such So much is implyed Ps 41.1 For if he be blessed that considereth the poore then by the rule of contraries such as do not are cursed They are cursed upon this account because they are wicked Prov. 3.33 The curse of the Lord is in the house of the wicked And Math. 25.41 At the last day they shall be pronounced cursed and shall heare that woefull sentence depart from me ye cursed into everlasting fire prepared for the Devill and his Angells The curse of God like the Leprosy of Naaman doth cleave to them and to their seed for ever Thus ye see this truth manifested by two evidences the one taken from their great wickednes the other from their cursednes 3. They are unlike God Thirdly It appears that unmercifull men want a glorious commendable and profitable thing by this that they are altogether unlike to God O this dissimilitude to God makes men look uggly God is the Father of mercies 2 Cor. 1.3
God loveth them that are like unto him but so are not wicked men They do not shew themselves to be the children of this Father which is in heaven We read of God Psalm 10.17 That he doth hear the desire of the humble or poore c. And that he giveth food to all flesh because his mercy endureth for ever Psalme 136.25 and Luc. 6.36 He commandeth that we be mercifull Mat. 5.45 as our Father also is mercifull And he made lawes for mercy Deut. 15.7 8. If there be among you a poore man of one of thy bretheren within thy gates in thy land which the Lord thy God giveth thee thou shalt not harden thy heart nor shut thy hand from thy poore brother But thou shalt open thy hand wide unto him and shalt surely lend him sufficient for his need in that which he wanteth And God is so mercifull that he takes order that the poor the maimed the lame the blind be called when men make feasts Luke 14.13 But unmercifull men have not such a disposition they are altogether unlike God and therefore want a glorious property 4. Unmercifulnes bars audience of Prayers In the Forth place we read Prov. 21.13 Who so stoppeth his ears at the cry of the poore he also shall cry himselfe but shall not be heard Unmercifulnes bars audience of prayers Certainly they want a glorious commoditie that want that which makes the eare of the Lord to be open to cries and cals in the time of neede T is no ordinary priviledge to have accesse and welcome to the throne of grace and therefore to want it whereby prayer becommeth an abhomination to the Lord must needs be a very great want O when unmercifull men hard-hearted wretches shall ly and cry on their death beds O Lord shew some mercy O Lord shew some comfort Lord help me Lord help me Lord forgive me Lord Jesus receive my soule let them be sure God will turne the deafe eare to them as they have formerly to others Oh this is dreadfull Fifthly Unmercifullnes is a degree of murther Job 24.14 The murderer rising with the light killeth the poore and needy 5 Unmercifulnes is a kind of murther Qui non tollit injuriam cur potest facit and in the night is as a thiefe That place is to be understood of such a murther as the rich man mentioned Luke 16.21 was guilty of He that deviseth waies how to oppresse suck squeeze yea not to succour a dying man in Gods account is a murtherer Not to give meate to the hungry hath a sentence of go ye cursed Math. 25.42 If people be in misery and want and such as are able will not pitty and succour them and supply their wants they are in a sort before the Lord murtherers Sixthly It is a shrewd signe of a reprobate condition 6. A shrewd signe of a reprobate condition For we read in the third chapter of the Collos ver 12. That bowels of mercy is put among those properties which do belong to the elect of God Put on therefore as the elect of God holy and beloved bowels of mercie kindnesse of mind meeknesse long suffering c. Who can think but such do belong to the state of reprobation that have not the markes and signe of Gods elect upon them Who can hope that they have relation to the God of mercy that in their place and to their power do not labour to make it evident by relieving such as be in misery To conclude this use Lastly their end dolefull that are unmercifull surely we may agree from the wofulnesse of their future condition from their dolefull end That they want that which is of great concernment that want a mercifull disposition James 2.13 For he shall have judgment without mercy that hath shewed no mercy They must look to drink of the wine of the wrath of God which is powred out without mixture into the cup of his indignation Without mixture marke that phrase that is without allaying of it God will not moderate it at all They shall have judgement without mercy We have yet another use and it is of exhortation We have Vse 2 heard much of the beauty of his grace and of the misery of such as are without it Now therefore be stirred up to be mercifull shew your selves to be mercifull as God is mercifull Be as Job was ye may read cap. 29.16 I was saith he a father to the poore and the cause which I knew not I searched out c. cap. 31.17 He did not eate his morsels alone but the fatherlesse did eat with him and ver 20. The loynes of the prore warmed with the fleece of his sheep blessed him Ye read of Dorcas Act. 9.39 that She made coats and garments for poor widows while she was alive Dives had beene better to have given all that he had to Lazarus then have fared as he did To move you to be mercifull Motives to be mercifull 1. It is a blessed thing First it is a more blessed thing to give then to receive Acts 20.35 It makes such as practice workes of mercy truly noble and honorable and that in the account of God himselfe The Lord Jesus said and his words are to be remembred that it is more blessed to give them to receive Consider the forementioned place in the Acts of the Apostles 2 Ye give to Christ Secondly Christ takes all acts of mercy as if they were done unto himself He takes them all to his own account And this ye may be sure of he is a good paymaster sooner or latter will quit scores and reckonnings with you He will not forget that when he was hungry ye fed him c. Math. 25.42 And if the Paps are blessed which gave him suck then shall that table also that hath fed him Luc. 11.27 Ye have plaine Scripture that in as much as ye have done works of mercy to the least of these which he is not ashamed to call his bretheren ye have done it unto him This is the second motive ye give to Christ 3 God will not dy in your debt Lastly reade Prov. 19.17 He that hath pitty upon the poore lendeth unto the Lord and that which he hath given will he pay him again God will not dy in your debt If all sufficiency can make requitall ye shall surely have it Quest But how shall I do may some one say to get this property of mercy Answ I Answer First you must pray to God for it James 1â—17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above and commeth downe from the father of lights Pray therefore to the Lord to give you mercifull hearts Prayer ye see is the Bucket to fetch up some of this mercy out of the deepe Well that can never be emptied Secondly you must consider what hath beene said formerly you must lay it to heart and think upon it And Thirdly and lastly ye must fall
upon the practise of mercy By using your selves to acts of mercy you shall come to be more merciful many acts will beget a habit You must cast your bread upon the waters for ye shall find it after many daies not only in Gods rewarding Eccles 11.1 but your own disposition and inclination which will be to you a kind of a heaven upon earth I am now at last come to speak of the infinitenesse and incomprehensiblenesse of the mercy of God Upon this proposition The third Proposition God in this attribute of mercy is infinite and incomprehensible He is in this as in other attributes Indeed he is God Heapes of places I might bring in the Bible abounds with passages of the mercifull inclination of God Exod. 34.6 7. The Lord God mercifull and gratious c. And againe Keeping mercy for thousands Deut. 5.10 And shewing mercy unto thousands Ps 36.5 Thy mercy O Lord is in the heavens or unto the heavens So that we need not aske as Esau did of Jacob his father about a blessing Gen. 27.38 Hast thou but one blessing my father So hast thou but one mercy O God For come there never so many there is mercy for all The bottomlesse Ocean of Gods mercy can never possibly be drawne dry by the creature Many admirable sayings have we touching Gods mercy First God enclines to it it comes naturally from him not as waters out of the pump but as showres from heaven T is but open our mouthes and God will fill them Yea secondly to use the words of a painfull and learned Writer It is not only not troublesome and painfull to wit because it is naturall to God to shew mercy but also pleasant and delightfull for God to shew mercy c. And a little after Downhams Christian Warfar p. 204. lib. 2. c. 34. sect 4. And contrary wise it should be troublesome and irkesome If I may so speake saith mine Author for God not to shew and exercise his nature and mercy c. And once more For as the eye is delighted with seeing and to be restrained there from is grievous unto it as the eare is delighted with hearing and is much molested if it be stopped and as every part and faculty of the body and soule are delighted in exercising their severall actions and functions and are much vexed and combred if by any meanes they should be hindred so is the Lord delighted and well pleased in shewing and exercising his owne nature and attributes God weepes when he strikes but smiles when he strokes It doth his heart good as we use to say of men Certainly God will not be barred of his pleasure he rejoyceth much to have an occasion offered of exercising his mercy Psalme 147.11 David saith that the Lord is delighted in them that fear him and attend upon his mercie When men waite for mercy God is delighted to exercise it towards them Caryl on Job 5. part Pag. 37. Judicious Mr. Caryl To shew mercy pleaseth him more then it relieveth us Thirdly God is said to multiply to shew mercy Single acts of mercy cannot give him content He shewes mercies by thousands unto thousands of his people Fourthly ye have an expression Isaiah 30.18 And therefore will he be exalted that he may have mercy upon you But what do I speake of that which is infinite and incomprehensible Sooner can we number the starrs of heaven dropps of the Ocean sands on the shoare yea Atomes in the sunne then give you a true account of the mercies of this most mercifull God What is a drop to the Ocean Quantum scintilla ad mare se habet tantum hominis malitia ad Dei clementiam imo vero non tantum Chrysost And what are our sinnes to the mercies of God Infinitenes cannot be limited Gods thoughts of mercy are exalted above the thoughts of our unworthinesse farre higher then the heavens are exalted above the earth Mercy is as it were Gods fetching of breath His infinite and incomprehensible goodnes doth in a sort wholy live in works of mercy For all the world are object of Gods mercy since Adams fall For all have sinned and have come short of the glory of God That famous Man H. Zanchius Hath notable stuffe about this matter I will take notise but of one passage Upon Exod. 34.6 7. Where it is said Zanch. de Attrib lib. 2. c 1. quest 2. that God is slow to anger He writeth And therefore we must note although anger be attributed unto God it is in God nothing else but the chiefe goodnes and justice whereby he abhorreth evill and according to his just judgment doth at lengh punish it if it be not amended by his long suffering and patience This here hence appeareth evidently speaking of revenge which is an effect of anger he doth not say that he doth presently inflict punishment or that he is so ready to inflict it as to shew mercy but he saith that he is slow to anger c. And upon the 28th of Isaiah 21. Where the words are for the Lord shall rise up as in mount Perahim he shall be wrath as in the valley of Gibion that he may do his worke his strange worke and bring to passe his acts his strange act The prophet saith Zanchy maketh two sorts of Gods works his proper and strange workes The proper worke of God is to shew mercy and to spare or forgive his strange worke is to be angry and to punish So farre he I have been somewhat long about this quotation The weight lieth upon this that mercy in God is his nature and therefore infinite it is the very life of God his drawing of breath in his proper works Mercy goodnes long suffering are according to the nature of the deitie which is farre remote from all unjust severity cruelty tiranny and pride All providences have mercy in them T is of the infinite mercy of God that the world is borne up which would else sink into its first nothing It is mercy respites the damnation of wicked men and saves the elect yea behold I tell you a mistery mercies brings calamities 1 Cor. 11.32 But when we are judged we are chastned of the Lord that we should not be condemned with the world O let me draw breath a little Consider what unexpected even incredible mercies God sometimes breathes out Even when he seemes to breath out smoake and flames yet he is angry that he may bring his work to passe that is to say his Proper work that is that he may have mercy and preserve The Devill he breaths out Deaths Miseries and Mischiefs but God loads us with mercies and as I sayd the attribute of goodnesse sets God on worke to put himselfe out in endlesse mercies and tender bowels beyond what man or Angell can possibly imagine Learn then we may hence that there is no want of mercy in Vse 1 God sooner can the Sea want water and Hell want
that after this life when all promises are fulfilled Obj. there is no use of fidelity I Answer that we may distinguish the property from the exercise of it or else and rather This I say Sol. to all eternity there is use of Gods fidelity for that his saints continue in their blessednes is by vertue of his promise and fidelity where some also have said there is some kind of faith that lasts in heaven which they call the faith of depency This truth I say will stand when all that oppose it or slight it shall fall and such as doubt of it shall be without Fides depenetiae Numb 23.19 God is not a man that he should ly nor the sonne of man that he should repent shall he say and not do or shall he speake and not make it good Malachy 3.6 For I am the Lord I change not therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed And the Apostle James saith with him is no varablenesse nor shadow of turning Deut. 7.9 Know therefore that the Lord thy God he is God the faithfull God which keepeth Covenant mercy with them that love him c. Proofs are plentifull in the history of the Scriptures Gods truth and faithfullnes is the ground of the Saints security and the sinners destruction And this must needs be in God who first knows what hee saies to be good and fit and truth in a logicall sence of which ye have already heard and therefore he need not repent he hath no after thoughts And Secondly He hates and threatens and punisheth the want of faithfulnes in others Ezekiell 17.15 16. Shall he prosper shall he escape that doth such things or shall he breake the covenant and be delivered As I live saith the Lord God surely in the place where the king dwelleth that made him king whose oath he despised and whose covenant he brake even with him in the midst of Babylon he shall dy Now put these two together First What God saith is so good and true according to the just rule as that he hath no cause to alter the thing that is gone out of his mouth Secondly that he hates and punisheth faithfullnes and want of truth in others and it will be surely concluded that God is a God of truth and faithfullnes Now what God saith is either by way of menace or promise as may be abundantly read in Scripture and of both it is true as it is written of the law Mat. 5.18 One jot or title shall in no wise passe from it till all be fulfilled God watcheth over his word to perform it It is a note of Mr. Capel upon the fifth verse of the first of Zachary Your fathers where are they and the Prophets do they live for ever That the power of Truth of Gods word depends not on any mens persons nor is limited to one age Their Fathers were dead that were threatned and the Prophets were dead too that did threaten them but the truth of their prophesies was not buried with them but was in every point fulfilled according to their preaching That follows v. 6. But my words and my statutes which I commanded my servants the Prophets did they not take hold of your Fathers And they returned and said like as the Lord of hoasts thought to do unto us according to our ways according to our doings so hath he dealt with us It is confessed by them selves the hand of God upon them did draw a confession from them that they were punished as God had threatned as they had deserved and they returned that is were convinced better advised as Mal. 3.18 Then shall ye return and discern between the righteous and the wicked between him that serveth God and him that serveth him not Men will know one day to their sorrow that God is a God of truth not a word goes out of his mouth but is exactly performed Yea circumstances exactly observed ye find Gen. 15.13 a promise made to Abram that after foure hundred yeares his seed should be freed and come out of the land of Bondage with great substance And compare that place with Exod. 12.41 And ye shall find great exactnes And it came to passe at the end of the foure hundred and thirty yeares even the selfe same day it came to passe that all the hosts of the Lord went out of the land of Aegypt The Lord is most true yea truth it selfe And all his promises in Christ are yea and Amen 2 Cor. 1.20 He is a faithfull witnes and whatsoever he hath spoken shall be accomplished so that though the heavens decay and wax old like a garment though the sunne lose his light and the moone be turned into blood though the earth tremble and quake and the foundations of the mountaines be moved and shake yea though heaven and earth and all things therein contained perish and pass a way yet all that God hath threatned or promised shall be accomplished God is Jehovah he hath his essence and beeing in and from himselfe alone giveth beeing unto all things else especially to his word and promises And therefore for the First Use Let the people of God be confident upon this truth of God Light is sowen for the righteous and Vse 1 joyfull gladnesse for the upright in heart Psalme 97.11 And Gods Testimonies are very sure Psalme 93.5 He hath promised to all beleevers and repentant sinners that he will in Christ Jesus pardon all their sinnes and will receive them into his grace and favour and that he will be a sunne and shield to them and that no good thing will he withhold from them And therefore let us believe and rest upon our Saviour Christ alone for salvation truly repenting us of all our sinnes and build upon Gods truth that though our sinnes be never so many and grievious yet the Lord will pardon and forgive them and though our distresses and misery be never so great and woefull yet he can and therefore will because he is a God of truth deliver us from all Truth and faithfulnes is one of Gods names a part of his title let us not therfore call it into question it is a great dishonor to God It is an errour in the foundation to subsistitute fals objects either in religion or in christian conversation We must not build upon works but rely upon promises made by the God of truth God can neither endure fals objects nor a double object His faithfulnes or truth must be our shield buckler And therefore in the second place Ps 91.4 this reproves our doubtings somtimes churlish enough concerning the truth faithfulnes Vse 2 of our gratious God who yet is ever will be without falshood Titus 1.2 A God that cannot ly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Yet is often charged with breach of promise to his children by his very children 2 Pet. 3.4 5. If only scoffers walking after their owne lusts should say where is the promise of his